Picture hanger



H. L. WHITE PICTURE HANGER Nov. 3, 1953" Filed Jan. 17

Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to hangers and particularly to structure for mounting a picture, mirror, plaque and the like, the primary object being to provide a hanger for supporting the article to be hung in a straight, untilted condition at all times.

The most important object of the present invention is the provision of a picture hanger having a pair of elongated, interconnected arms extending in opposite directions and having hooks provided On the outermost ends thereof for receiving the usual picture cable or other bracket on the picture, thereby presenting a two-point support, serving to prevent tilting.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a picture hanger hav ng the aforesaid hooked arms and a member at the point of interconnection between'the arms adapted for mounting upon a vertical wall, said member being provided with means for adjusting the arms in a number of directions to positively align the picture supported by the hanger.

Other objects of the present invention include the way in which the arm hooks are formed to prevent slippage between the picture-suspending means and the hanger, per se; the way in which a slot is provided in the arms for rece ving a screw, permitting vertical adiustment of the bracket: the manner in which the arms are swin able about the said screw; and the way in which the arm support is itself mounted upon a wall in such manner as to prevent displacement thereof in any direction;

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a picture hanger made in accordance with the present invention, showing the same in operative use on one form of picture-suspending means.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, cross sectional view taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view showing the side of the bracket opposite to that illustrated in Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the bracket in use with a modified form of picturesuspending means.

The picture hanger forming the subject matter hereof includes a pair of sections In and [2, both formed from an initially flat sheet of material, preferably metallic. Section I2 of the bracket is formed to present a pair of oppositely-extending, interconnected arms l4 and it of identical character, there being a slot l8 provided in the section I 2 at the point of merger between the proximal ends of arms l4 and I6.

Each arm I4 and I 6 is provided with a hook 20 at the outermost, free end thereof, said hooks 20 being bent laterally in a direction away from the section Ill when the two sections are interconnected. As noted in Fig. 2, the hooks 20 diverge as the outermost edges thereof are approached.

Fig. 2, also, illustrates the way in which the two arms l4 and I6 are curved slightly from their point of interconnection toward the section II) as the hooks 20 thereof are approached. Each of the hooks 20 is provided with a V-shaped notch 22, the apex of the notches 22 being at the innermost ends thereof.

The section l0 comprises a relatively small plate having a lateral flange 24 at the normally lowermost edge thereof and a flange 26 at its uppermost edge extending in the same direction as flange 24 and provided with a pair of spaced, pointed ears 28. The flange 26 of section I0 is, also, provided with a down-turned tab 30 that is perforated at 32 for receiving a nail or other fasten ng element 34.

As is clear in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the nail 34 also passes through an opening 36 formed in the section l0 immediately below the laterallyturned flange 26. A screw 38 threaded into the section Hi just above the flange 24 has a head provided with a diameter that is greater than the width of the slot 48, said screw 38 being disposed within the slot l8 and freely slidable therein when screw 38 is loosened with respect to section Hi.

In Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, there is illustrated a bracket 40 constituting an elongated strip having ofiset ends 42 secured to the back of a picture 44 through suitable fastening elements 46. The ofiset portions 42 of the strip 49 serve to hold the latter in spaced relationship to the back of the picture 44, as shown in Fig. 2. The bracket 40 is designed to fit into both of the hooks 20 of section [2 by spanning the d stance therebetween when the bracket is placed in use.

Fig. 5 in the drawing illustrates a conventional cord 48 mounted on the back of a picture 50 through the medium of a pair of spaced eye screws 52 or the like in the usual manner. This picture-suspending cord 48 is, also, adapted to be looped over the two hooks 20 in much the same manner a the bracket 49.

When the picture hanger isplaced in use, the supporting section Hlis fastened to a vertical wall 54 through the medium of the nail 34. It

is to be noted that the openings 32 and 38 are so disposed as to hold nail 34 at an angle with respect to the wall 54, thereby assuring that the weight of the picture will not pull nail 34 from its driven position in wall 54.

When nail 34 is driven in place, the pointed ears 28 of section will, also, be embedded a short distance in wall 54, as limited by the tab 30. The downward angle of theears 28 iss s l less than the angle of nail 34; and, through such construction, it has been found that mutilation of the surface of wall 54 will be minimized.

Furthermore, the difierence in the inclinations of nail 34 and ears 28 serves to prevent a chipping away of wall 54 by the ears 28 that would tend to prevent the holding action which cars 28 provide.

When the section is mounted upon the wall 54 in the manner just described, the flange 24 will hold the section I0 substantially vertical and spaced away from wall 54 to provide clearance for the innermost end of screw 38.

In the event that the longitudinal axis of section 10 is not truly vertical after the same is mounted upon wall 54, the picture can, nevertheless, be aligned properly by loosening of the screw 38, permitting free; swinging movement of arms [4 and ii on the substantially horizontal axis of screw 38.

--Furthermore, the arms l4 and 18 can be raised or lowered with respect to section 10 by reason of the slot 18 and screw 38, whereupon the screw 38 may be tightened for holding sections In and i2 relatively immovable. To further assure that section I! will not slip with respect to section H),

the proximal surfaces of these sections are roughened as at 56 and 58.

The bracket 49 can be adjusted to the point desired within the notches 22; and, whenso positioned, bracket 40 will rest within the V-shaped notches 22 andblnd itself against sliding movement relative to the hooks 20. By the same token, the picture can be swung to a positively aligned position and the cable 48 will be tightly gripped by the notches 22 of ears 20.

It is, also, to be noted, particularly in the form of the inventionshown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive,

that the picture can be adjuste horizontally.

The bracket 49 will slide in the V-shaped notches r 22 when bracket 40 is lifted slight y; and, therefore, the picture can be positioned as desired. This is of importance when a number of relatively small pictures are grouped together on a-wall and where it is desired to space such pictures properly, even though in driving the nails, the user may not attain such perfect spacing.

Through the longitudinal bend of the arms I4 and I6 rearwardly toward the wall 54, as shown in Fig. 2, the picture 44 can be disposed relatively close to the surface of wall 54. A second tapped opening 80 is provided in the section 10, just above the opening receiving screw 38', to receive a second screw much like screw 38, when the section I2 is 'moved upwardly toward the nail 34 to a position where screw 38 would likely loosen and permit the picture to tilt out of alignment.

' Patent'is:

.1. For a picture, a hanger comprising an elongated;horizontal member adapted for attachment to thebackof the picture; a pair of plate-like sections, one of the sections being elongated, longitudinally arched, presenting a rearmost concave face and a forwardmost convex face, and having a central portion provided with a vertical slot and-a pair of integral, oppositely extending arms projecting upwardly and outwardly from the central portion; a forwardly-extending hook on the outermost free end of eaoharm respectively, said hooks converging as the arms are approached and each being provided with an upwardly opening, V-shaped notoh'receiving-said member, the

othersection having an opening for receiving a rearwardly-extending fastening element; and

horizontaiscrew means in said slot-attached to theother section and slidsbly and rotatably interconnecting the sections; the other section having a forwardmost vertical face engaging the central porticnci. the one se tion on the reerm concave face of: the latter, said. other section hava: pair: of rearwardlrrextcndlns flanges. on of the flan es having a plurality of wallpiercing ears thereon! 2... The invention; as setforthin claim 1, wherenhe said. nterensaeing taces 'otthe two sections are roughenedwhereby, when said screw means is man p lated to clamp the-sections t0- settler, the sections will not rotate or slide relatively.

LYNN WHITE.

eferences cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name. Date Y 218,264 Vizet Mar. 11, 1879 717,859 Jackson et al. e Jan. 6, 1903 779,433 Long Jan. 10, 1905 1,151,425 Utsurogi Aug. 24, 1915 1,224,513 Thompson May 1, 1917 1,382,908 Helka June 28, 1921 ,999,575 Reuter Apr. 30, 1935 2,180,211 Kellogg -1 Nov. 14, 1939 2,448,588 Greenberg Sept. 7, 1948 ';2',483,114 Van Schoor Sept. 27, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 40,880 Sweden ......of 1913 

